Footsteps idly wandering
in circles
is a soul
without an anchor.
Seeking not
or knowing not,
but meandering
all the same.
But even anchors
break loose
and fail to hold.
Some drag on ocean floors
or snag on unseen perils.
To what buoy or mooring
does your soul cling?
Where does your heart
find a home
with warmth,
memory and belonging?
When John Hus, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, John Calvin and many others sought the reform of the church, their initial intention was not to start a new denomination. In fact, Hus and Wycliffe died in the church in which they were born. The dominant issues they were confronted by, and in turn confronted, revolved around the primacy of the Word, the Papacy, doctrines added by the church, and corruption. Half a millennium later there are some of the old issues but also many new ones as well as old issues dressed in new clothes. The other day I asked if we needed a new reformation. If we do, what would need to be reformed? Here are some thoughts in no particular order except the first:
I believe there needs to be a return to the understanding of the inerrancy of Scripture. Too many churches and believers now treat the Word of God as a “guide” rather than God speaking to His people. Does that mean there will no disagreements? Not at all. We still need to understand what is said, however, we will begin from a common understanding.
The Word in Hand
From the time of the Edict of Milan in 313 there has been a steady and unwavering progression of the church from organism to organisation. The Reformation didn’t deal with it but now, more than ever in our disintegrating social fabric, the church needs to reveal the power of community – the body of Christ.
These are a few random thoughts on the need for reform. We, particularly in the West, need to confess our failings, our wandering from God and His Word and humbly seek to start afresh. What do you think?
St Peter’s Rome
Recently an old friend from the Catholic tradition commented on a poem I had written about the importance of acknowledging those, from the past, who had paved the way for us. He reminded me that this goes back many generations. Not so subtlety he reflected that even for Protestants our origins go back to the Catholic tradition.
As I pondered further I considered the reasons for the Reformation. The reinstatement of the primacy of the Word, a return to “Grace alone” and the corruption in the Vatican at the time were all key issues. It took the church 1500 years to get to the point that the Reformation occurred. Despite the corruption in the church there were many bright lights and examples of Christlikeness. My readers will be aware of my occasional reference to Teresa of Avila. (See here and here). It wasn’t all bleak. Yet it has taken the Protestant tradition less than 500 years, since Luther nailed his theses on the door at Wittenberg in 1517, to come to a similar state. Instead of indulgences we have the “prosperity gospel” – selfishness in different clothes. The primacy of the Word is under strident attack. Issues that secular society seeks to reevaluate such as gay marriage and abortion are understandable, however that many in the church support these causes is not. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Reformation Wall, Geneva
The point is this: the church must continually be reforming itself in the light of Scripture. In every new era as issues arise, the Word of God needs to be applied afresh to the times. The Catholic church recognised this with the Counter Reformation and the Vatican Councils. We may disagree with many of the outcomes but at least they understood the need for review.
On the immovable foundation of the Word of God, what do we need to reassess about ourselves, our values, our priorities – both as Christians and churches? Is it time for another reformation – a reformation that can trace its spiritual ancestry through those who, over the centuries, down to the early church have striven to be faithful to God, His Word, His Gospel and His Kingdom?
The Dutch C19th/C20th theologian and statesman, Abraham Kuyper, is not that well known in the English speaking world, yet his works are worth knowing. His devotions are particularly inspiring.
Here is another short quote from a longer devotional: “Lord Teach us to Pray” in “To Be Near Unto God.” (The Kindle version is available for a very modest price).
The Paternoster (The Lord’s Prayer) in the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
“Undoubtedly, the highest end is attained when, independent of every aid, from the free impulse of the Spirit, the soul lifts itself up to God, and on the wings of the Spirit, spreads itself before God in sacred, devotional language. Such glorious moments are not infrequent in the prayer-life. And it is plain that in such moments even the Our Father is not sufficiently concrete to direct the soul in its utterance before God. But in all seriousness, how many among the great and small in the congregation have risen to these sacred heights. And, if there are such, how many are the moments of a long day, when they are in such sacred and exalted moods? We must needs reckon with reality. And think not only of yourself, but have a tender consideration for the poor sheep in the church and in your own home, whose spiritual standing is still low, and who yet needs must pray, and for whom it is no less glorious than for you, when in prayer they come a little nearer unto God, and may perceive something of his holy presence. How much higher did not the apostles of Jesus stand than we, and yet for them Jesus deemed a memorized prayer so little aimless or superfluous, that he himself gave them one.”
Kuyper, Abraham To Be Near Unto God. Kindle Edition.
The following, amazing quote, comes from the introduction to Abraham Kuyper’s delightful collection of devotions: To Be Near Unto God.
Love for God may be fine sentiment. It may be sincere and capable of inspiring holy enthusiasm, while the soul is still a stranger to fellowship with the eternal, and ignorant of the secret walk with God. The great God may still not be your God. Your heart may still not be attuned to the passionate outburst of delight: I love the Lord. For love of God in general is so largely love for the idea of God, love for the Fountain of life, the Source of all good, the Watcher of Israel who never slumbers; in brief, love for him who, whatever else changes, abides the same eternally.
But when the heart can say: I love the Lord, the idea of the Eternal becomes personified. Then God becomes the Shepherd who leads us, the Father who spiritually begat us, the covenant-God to whom we sustain the covenant relation, the Friend who offers us friendship, the Lord whom we serve, the God of our trust, who is no longer merely God, but our God.
Abraham Kuyper, To Be Near Unto God, Kindle Edition.
Revelation 19:6-8
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,was given her to wear.
There is a feeling in the general community that secular state education is neutral and Christian education is partisan. However the real question is, can any educational system deliver education that is not shaped by the values and particular world-view of both the system and the teacher? To be frank, I believe the manner in which we teach any subject is saturated in a world-view.
For example, history is more than just a collection of objective facts but also about how we interpret them. We can ask, is history simply events determined by the decisions of humanity – are we in charge of our own destiny, or are greater forces at work? Is science the exploration of the chance events occurring over millions of years or is there a higher being at work? Any study of literature is the study of values, worldviews, hopes, aspirations and failures of humanity. A neutral objectivity is naive and foolish.
Why do I raise this question? There is an arrogant totalitarianism developing in democratic countries that suggests that the only truly valuable education can be pursued by the state – everything else is partisan. The reality behind this thinking is that mankind is “god”. We determine what is valuable and true. The majority rules. Somehow truth is determined by the greatest number.
Essentially the fundamental difference between Christian education and state education is the God/god that we follow. The God I follow has revealed himself in His Word and in His son. It is a truth that has withstood the test of time. The god of secular state education is determined by the values, votes and fashions of any particular era.
I know where my loyalty and faith lies.
The pulpit in the old church at Gamla Uppsala
“Deo Volente” is not a phrase used much nowadays, yet it speaks of a wonderful attitude.
Deo Volente, often shortened to D.V. simply means “God willing”. Like many Latin phrases its real meaning has been lost in the mists of time. “N.B”, “A.D.” and “C.V.” are just some other examples. In the past letters and messages were often annotated with “D.V.” It acknowledged that any human plans were subject to God’s will.
Deo Volente, at its heart, speaks of an attitude before God. It recognises that our plans are always subject to His will and purposes. God is sovereign and I am not. It is a phrase of humility and acceptance. Not resignation, but the acknowledgement that ultimately God’s purposes and plans far outweigh my wishes and petty ambitions.
It is also a phrase of comfort. Whatever happens in my life is not governed by fate or chance but is overruled by a God who sent His son to reveal His love for His children and who cares for them into eternity. It is a comfort because He has told me, that love is what He wills.
If your eyes are attuned, when you travel around France and Spain there are numerous signs indicating the Camino to Santiago. They are on walls, paths and buildings. They are a silent indication that you are on one of the many paths leading to the Spanish city of Santiago. But I had never noticed them until I had actually gone on a portion of the pilgrimage. After that, I bumped into these signs regularly – I began to notice them. Until I had consciously connected these signs with the pilgrimage, these signs were invisible to me.
We need to have this sense of attunement too, with the representation of Christ in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament, without seeing Jesus is, quite bluntly, a pointless book. The promise of Christ is the backbone that holds the Old Testament together. But when we start to look for him, he is not just in the promises and prophecies, but can also be glimpsed in key people (e.g. Moses – prophet, priest and king), ceremonies and rituals (the sacrifices in Leviticus find their reality in Jesus) and events (the exodus from Egypt and the entrance into the promised land declare so much about Jesus and the reason for his incarnation). The coming of Jesus, and Satan’s desire to prevent his birth is a continuous undercurrent that surges through the highs and lows of God’s people in Old Testament history. What if David had been killed by Goliath or Joseph had been killed by his brothers? What would have happened to God’s promises?
O.k. God is sovereign, yet we see that sovereignty against a backdrop of Satan’s hatred and humanity’s sin. The golden thread that draws the Old Testament into a unified story of God’s salvation history is the promise of Christ – the Messiah.
One other reason for recognising this important truth: it prevents the Old Testament from becoming just another version of a morality tale alongside brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. The O.T goes far beyond “daring to be a Daniel” or “having the courage of David” it is about God and his plans to see the King and the Kingdom come.
A book that does a wonderful job relating Jesus and his kingdom to the Old Testament is Graeme Goldsworthy’s Gospel and Kingdom. It has been around for a while yet it is still a great introduction to open ones eyes to Jesus, his kingdom and the way it is revealed in the Old Testament.
Gospel and Kingdom is a book I have purchased on a number of occasions and yet I don’t have a copy on my shelves because I have given it away or “loaned” it on numerous occasions.
Last weekend I listened, once again, to Michael Card’s CD, The Ancient Faith, a musical tour through the Old Testament with an underlying theme of the coming of Christ. Even though it is nearly 20 years old it is still a marvelous work for a variety of reasons. Not the least, it honours Scripture.
We have on this album, magnificent Biblical themes which are combined with appropriate and beautifully composed music. To me, it epitomises what good Christian music can be. It would be difficult for a believer to listen to this and not a. worship and praise God, b. gain greater insights into the Bible and c. be inspired by the love of God.
One way Michael Card does this, for me, is by expressing Scripture from the point of view of various characters. The most striking is “The Song of Gomer” as she reflects on Hosea’s love. In fact, Gomer’s song becomes our song as we reflect and rejoice in the love that Christ has given us.
If you haven’t listened to this album for while, find it and find a quiet room and a quiet hour or so and let Michael Card minister the Word to you.
What Christian albums speak to you? I would love to hear your responses.
Travels from Ur 